Video capture devices, such as digital video cameras, may be used in different applications and environments. A video capture device may be capable of capturing video from a variety of distances relative to a target scene. Video capture devices may store captured video on a variety of media, e.g., video tape, hard drive, Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), etc.
Digital video capture devices may use a video sensor to capture video. The video capture device may include a number of video sensor configuration parameters that may be adjusted to better capture video in different environmental conditions. For example, the video capture device may include a number of sensitivity settings, e.g., white balance, exposure control, and focusing. Each of these settings may affect the smoothness and quality of captured video.
A video capture device may allow a user to manually select video sensor configuration parameters. By manually selecting the configuration parameters, the user may select settings appropriate for current environmental conditions to better capture video in that environment. Alternatively, or additionally, video capture devices may include some automatic settings that select the sensor configuration parameters based on current environmental conditions. The video capture devices may, for example, include light sensors that detect the brightness of the surrounding environment and select the configuration setting based on the amount of light detected. Many video capture devices also include automatic focusing of the camera. Video capture devices typically have many different parameters and settings that affect the quality of the video being taken. Therefore, there is a need for improved techniques for adjusting parameters in a video capture device.